Fans of Stranger Things have most likely already consumed the entirety of Season 3 after it was released on 4th July 2019. After the incredible popularity of the first two seasons, which followed a group of teenagers battling with monsters from alternative realities, the anticipation for the third series was immense.
Of course, it was impossible to go for another season without one of our favourite characters being killed off - and if you haven't seen it yet, we strongly suggest you look away NOW as we're about to drop some MAJOR spoilers. You heard us - SPOILER ALERT!!!
At the end of the third season's finale episode, we were left with a huge hole in our hearts after it appeared that everyone's favourite grumpy-but-lovable police chief Jim Hopper had been apparently vaporised, sacrificing himself so that the scary gun thing could be stopped.
However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel during a mid-credits scene, which saw Russian officers discuss one of their captives, calling them 'The American' - so viewers are pretty convinced that, somehow, Hopper survived. That's what we're telling ourselves, anyway. 🤷♀️🤷♂️
But some fans have questioned whether it might not be Hopper in the Russian cell after all - and could actually be fan-favourite Barb, best friend of Nancy, who was apparently taken to the Upside Down and killed by the creatures in the first season. Who can forget the terrifying image of a creature coming out of her corpse?
Posters on Reddit have expressed their theory, wondering whether Barb could be alive after all - considering the fact that, for a few moments in the first season, we thought Will was dead... But it was a FAKE body.
HEAT Stranger Things cast slider with cover pic
1 of 15Swipe through to see who's in the cast of Stranger Things...
2 of 15Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
Joyce is the mum of Will and Jonathan Byers, she is divorced and in the second season starts to date her old high school classmate Bob, played by Sean Astin.
3 of 15David Harbour as Jim Hopper
Jim is the chief at the local police station, he is divorced and had a young daughter who died of cancer. He has a connection with Joyce, and adopted Eleven at the end of season two.
4 of 15Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
Mike is one of Will's friends, the brother to Nancy and Holly, and son of Karen and Ted. He later develops feelings for Eleven and they become boyfriend and girlfriend. Aww.
5 of 15Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
When Eleven first appears in the series she has just escaped from Hawkins Laboratory, she has a shaven head and is very scared, however it's clear she has some sort of unusual powers. It is later revealed that her real name is Jane and she meets her mother, who was left catatonic by the scientists at the lab. She is adopted by Hopper.
6 of 15Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
Dustin is another of Will's friends. He is has leidocranial dysplasia which causes him to lisp, however in the second season he is very proud of the two front teeth he developed. Dustin causes havoc in season two after adopting one of the Demogorgon creatures as a pet.
7 of 15Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
Lucas is also a friend of Will's. When he first meets Eleven he is very skeptical, but later starts to trust her. He later develops a relationship with Max.
8 of 15Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
Will is Jonathan's younger brother and Joyce's other son. At the beginning of the first season he is captured and ends up disappearing into the Upside Down. Thankfully, he's rescued, but he has to face even worse problems in the second season as he becomes possessed by the creatures.
9 of 15Sadie Sink as Maxine 'Max' Mayfield
Max was a new character for season two, initially joining the friendship group at the invitation of Lucas and Dustin, but Mike rejects her as he's missing Eleven, who has disappeared. She's also bullied relentlessly by her cruel step-brother, Billy. By the end of the season, they're all friends and Max begins a relationship with Lucas.
10 of 15Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
Nancy is Mike and Holly's older sister. In the first season she becomes Steve Harrington's girlfriend, but by the season season they have split up and she starts going out with Jonathan Byers, and the pair work together to try and expose Hawkins Laboratory.
11 of 15Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
Jonthan is Will's older brother and Joyce's son. He is a quiet teenager and not part of the popular group, however in season 2 he starts to date Nancy.
12 of 15Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
Steve started off as something of a baddie in the first season after he took Nancy's rejection quite hard. However, he was the hero of the second season, looking after the younger group and being a mentor to Dustin.
13 of 15Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove
Billy joined the cast in season 2 with his step-sister Max. Billy is something of a villain on the show as he is constantly bullying Max, and even comes to blows with Nancy, Jonathan and Steve. By the end of the series, we realise that he's the way he is because he's bullied by his father.
14 of 15Matthew Modine as Dr Martin Brenner
In season 1, Martin is the lead scientist at Hawkins Laboratory who is searching for Eleven, he briefly appears again throughout season 2.
15 of 15Maya Hawke as Robin
Maya Hawke - daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman - will be joining the cast of Stranger Things in season 3 as someone who works with Steve at his summer job.
One person wrote, 'I think Barb is the American in the Russian prison. Hopper is stuck in the Upside Down as he jumped through the portal before the machine blew up' - which is a seriously excellent theory; however, Hopper actor David Harbour once told Entertainment Tonight that Barb really was a goner.
He said, "We should never let go of hope – but Barb is really dead." Could he actually be referring to his own character's apparent demise? We hope so!
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